Chapter 45: It Disappeared Just as Quickly
It was a little after seven in the morning when Xiao Chi was woken by a phone call from his mother.
He hadn't slept well the night before. He'd tossed and turned for what felt like forever and had no idea what time he'd finally drifted off. Even after answering the phone, he was still groggy. His mother started scolding him immediately.
"Have you gone back to your dad's place or not? You didn't say a word! It's been months since you last called! If I hadn't seen the neighbor's kid come home, I wouldn't even have known university students had already started summer vacation!"
"I've got a job," Xiao Chi replied. "I'm not going home this summer. I already told Dad."
"What job?" she demanded. "A real job or a fake one? You're not hiding in your dorm playing games again, are you? Don't you dare be like before—getting addicted to games, playing day and night, skipping school and meals!"
"I don't do that anymore."
She continued, "What kind of job are you working? Why do you need a job instead of coming home? If you're short on money, ask your father! He's a grown man—why shouldn't he take responsibility and support you? Don't work! Just ask him for money! You're still in school, so he should be paying your living expenses!"
Xiao Chi fell silent, letting her vent.
He knew she was simply pouring out the resentment she'd bottled up over the years.
Even after the divorce, those feelings were somehow still there. As though they would never fade.
After talking for a while, she suddenly remembered to ask about his plans for his third year of college.
"Won't you be graduating from your junior college next year? Didn't you say your third-year classmates have already gone out for internships? You need to start planning, too. There's nothing the family can do to help you. Have you found an internship yet?"
Xiao Chi hesitated before answering. "I've been thinking about taking the entrance exam to transfer into a bachelor's program."
"Huh?" Her voice rose. "You're still going to study? Can you even pass? Do you think getting into a bachelor's program is that easy? If you get in, how many more years will you have to study? Is the tuition expensive?"
"It's not expensive. I can save enough by working." He paused. "I'm also thinking that if I decide to take the exam, I'll stay here over the summer, work part-time, and enroll in a prep course instead of going home."
"You'd have to pay for prep classes too?" she asked cautiously. "How much would that cost?"
"I've got the money. Don't worry about it."
"Where did you get so much money? You still have to pay for food and tuition." As she spoke, she became angry again. "You should be asking your father for money!"
"I told you before," Xiao Chi said helplessly. "You can make money editing videos online. You don't really understand it, so just don't worry. Anyway, I have money. If I ever run out, I'll tell you."
He didn't dare tell either of his parents that he was livestreaming. He was afraid they'd scold him. Even more, he was afraid his stepmother and stepfather would find out and create unnecessary trouble.
His mother seemed about to say something else when a shout came from somewhere in the background.
"Mom! Where's breakfast? I'm hungry!"
It was Xiao Chi's five-year-old younger brother—his half-brother from his mother's second marriage.
"I'm getting your buns! Did you brush your teeth yet?" she called back before hurriedly saying, "Alright, I'll hang up first."
"Mm."
After the call ended, Xiao Chi got out of bed as well.
Too lazy to walk downstairs to the breakfast shop, he simply made himself a cup of oatmeal and ate a small bread roll, calling it breakfast.
It was a weekday. Wujin Shi and Qingtian Wai wouldn't be online during the day.
He still needed to make up streaming hours today. Another twelve-hour stream.
Just thinking about streaming that long already made him feel exhausted. Back when his audience was small, he could simply play however he wanted. No one really complained. But now that more people watched him, everyone had opinions. Some didn't like watching casual gameplay. Some didn't like battlefields. Some didn't like dungeon runs. Everyone wanted something different.
Even more ridiculous were the viewers who asked, the moment he went live, "Why isn't Wujin Shi here?"
Wujin Shi wasn't an employee in his stream. The man had a job.
Besides, Wujin Shi was busy. Qingtian Wai had even said he owned his own company.
Wujin Shi was outstanding. Xiao Chi knew that. And so were his friends. Qingtian Wai had a master's degree from overseas. Qian Yu was a graduate student. Qing Ning had majored in foreign languages and spoke five languages fluently. As for Gou-jie… Judging from the way she talked, she was almost certainly a university graduate too.
Among all of them… Xiao Chi had the lowest educational background.
Back in his freshman and sophomore years, when he played games by himself, he'd never really felt inferior because of it.
When he was in the second year of vocational school, all he'd wanted was to work as hard as possible and get into a junior college.
After all… A junior college was still college.
But now… He couldn't help feeling that the distance between himself and everyone else was enormous. So enormous...that it was almost unimaginable.
How could Wujin Shi be so exceptional?
Xiao Chi let out a quiet sigh.
He opened his class group chat. Several classmates had spent the previous evening discussing prep courses for the bachelor's transfer exam. He read through every message. Before he knew it, an entire hour had passed.
When he finally came back to his senses, Li Youran had already sent him several private messages.
[yoyo]: Chi Zhen? Chi Zhen?
[yoyo]: Weren't you asking about bachelor's transfer prep courses before? Xu Jing, Jiang Yaozhong, and I checked out several places. We think Zhizhi Education is the best one. We're going to attend a trial class this afternoon. Want to come with us?
[yoyo]: The three of us are planning to sign up for the advanced program. Classes run Monday through Friday starting this summer, weekends off, and continue all the way until the entrance exam. I'll send you the brochure—take a look.
[yoyo]: Zhizhi is close to our school too. You can get there by bike, so it's really convenient.
[Xiao Chi]: Okay. I'll go with you this afternoon for the trial class. What time?
Li Youran replied almost instantly. Three o'clock in the afternoon.
After setting the time, Xiao Chi logged into the game first. He watered his crops, tended his garden, and finished his usual daily activities.
At exactly ten o'clock, he started his stream as scheduled. Today's stream title, however, said it would end at 2:00 p.m.
[What's going on? Weren't you making up streaming hours by doing twelve-hour streams? You're giving up after only two days?]
Xiao Chi answered, "I've got something to do this afternoon."
[What could possibly be so important? Your husband's at work, so now you're just brushing us off?]
Xiao Chi sighed in resignation, secretly relieved that Wujin Shi was actually at work and neither in-game nor watching the stream. "Stop talking nonsense."
[He's flustered! He's flustered!]
Xiao Chi: "..."
[Since your husband's not here, what are you playing today?]
"I'll start with a few solo battlefield matches," Xiao Chi said. "Warm up first, then decide what to do afterward."
He skillfully guided Qingzhou Yiguo toward the Battlefield NPC to queue for solo mode.
The Battlefield NPC stood beneath a massive stone pillar at the entrance to the battleground. The plaza outside was enormous. Players loved setting up stalls there, chatting with friends, or picking up daily quests from nearby NPCs. Even though it was a weekday, summer vacation had begun, and the plaza was still bustling with people.
As Xiao Chi approached the Battlefield NPC...he made a horrifying discovery. Wei Yu Ning Qiu was still standing in the exact same spot where they'd spoken yesterday.
Graceful and ethereal in appearance, she stood proudly in the middle of the plaza, gazing into the distance as though the crowd surrounding her didn't exist. Every so often, she performed the healer class's idle animation— Lightly waving her sleeves.
Xiao Chi stopped in his tracks. He opened World Chat. Sure enough...Wei Yu Ning Qiu was still advertising that she was looking for a guild.
[Seriously? Sure, Wei Yu Ning Qiu loves drama, but she's actually a really good player. She still hasn't found a guild?]
[She's the number one beauty on this server, too.]
[Who decided that?]
[Eh, it's basically common consensus. Go look at the cosplay photos she submitted for the Wendao Qingtian’s cosplay contest. She's gorgeous.]
[Photoshopped, probably. If she were really beautiful, why wouldn't she video chat with Han Jian Ying?]
[I'm guessing it's a guy behind the female character.]
[Looks like you didn't read the 818 thread carefully. Wei Yu Ning Qiu was willing to video chat—she just refused to look at Han Jian Ying's real face. LOL, sorry, I can't stop laughing.]
[Streamer, just recruit Wei Yu Ning Qiu into Xiao Cai Guild already. I desperately want to watch her stir up more chaos. #doge]
[Don't drag Xiao Chi into this. Recruiting her now means offending the two biggest guilds on the server at once.]
...The two biggest guilds?
Why two?
Xiao Chi frowned.
Then he immediately understood.
Someone in the crowd spoke up.
[Nearby] Mo Li: So... someone got exposed for deceiving people, huh? And you've still got the nerve to go around looking for a guild?
[Nearby] Liuli Xin: Heh.
[Nearby] Mo Li: If I were her, I'd switch servers and start over. #smile
For some reason, both player names looked familiar. Xiao Chi instinctively glanced at his stream chat. He immediately got his answer.
[HOLY CRAP, the show's starting! Streamer, don't leave! I want to watch this live!]
[Forget the battlefield! Just stand there and don't move!]
[Whoa! Isn't that the vice guild leader's wife from Dominating the Firmament?]
[Nearby] Wei Yu Ning Qiu: Why do I hear dogs barking?
"Pfft."
Xiao Chi hurriedly covered his mouth.
[Hey, hey, hey—we all saw that!]
[Seriously? Liuli Xin is still upset over the fact that An Yu once pursued Wei Yu Ning Qiu?]
[Nearby] Mo Li: Yeah. Looks like there's a stray dog here who's even lost her guild.
[Nearby] Lengku Yan: 0.0
[Nearby] Liuli Xin: Some green tea finally couldn't keep up the act anymore.
[Nearby] Liuli Xin: If you'd just minded your own business instead of coveting what belongs to someone else, you wouldn't have ended up so pathetic.
[Nearby] Wei Yu Ning Qiu: Jie, are you... talking about An Yu?
Everyone watching collectively sucked in a breath.
[Nearby] Wei Yu Ning Qiu: Even if I did date someone in a virtual world...I still wouldn't choose An Yu, Jiejie.
[Nearby] Wei Yu Ning Qiu: His IGN is way too tacky.
Xiao Chi's eyes went wide.
[HOLY CRAP. HOLY CRAP. This lady…]
[HAHAHAHAHAHA! This Fruit Bomb was thrown for Wei Yu Ning Qiu! Thank you!]
[Please, Streamer! Recruit her into Xiao Cai Guild! I can't even imagine how entertaining it'll be!]
[Nearby] Lengku Yan: What a drama queen.
[Nearby] Mo Li: You've already been kicked out of your guild, and you're still putting on an act.
[Nearby] Mo Li: I'll just stand here and see which guild is actually dumb enough to recruit such a textbook green tea like you.
Wei Yu Ning Qiu didn't respond. She simply continued posting the same guild recruitment message in World Chat.
The forum's 818 gossip thread about her and Han Jian Ying was still pinned at the top. Who would dare recruit her now? Not to mention that the vice guild leader's wife from Dominating the Firmament and her best friend were standing right here, openly watching her with obvious hostility.
Seeing that Wei Yu Ning Qiu had stopped replying, Xiao Chi was just about to queue for a battlefield when the player standing beside him suddenly moved. That player walked right past him toward the Battlefield NPC.
It was Han Bing Zi Yu. Along with Han Jian Ying...and three other members of Way of Heaven.
They had been standing next to Qingzhou Yiguo this entire time. Quietly watching the drama unfold.
The five of them didn't say a single word. They simply walked straight to the Battlefield NPC, entered the queue, and moments later disappeared into the battlefield.
Wasn't Han Bing Zi Yu supposed to be Wei Yu Ning Qiu's best friend?
Even if Han Jian Ying was furious...what about Han Bing Zi Yu?
Xiao Chi looked over at Wei Yu Ning Qiu once more. She was still standing there with perfect composure, gracefully waving her sleeves in the healer's idle animation, as though she hadn't even noticed that her former in-game partner and her former best friend had just walked right past her.
Just over a month ago… Those same people had been willing to hunt Qingzhou Yiguo across the entire server without even asking why—simply because Wei Yu Ning Qiu had wanted them to.
Perhaps Wei Yu Ning Qiu wasn't entirely wrong when she said that things in a virtual world weren't real.
Affection. Friendship. In the virtual world, they could disappear just as suddenly as they had appeared. They came quickly...and they vanished just as quickly.
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